Whistling in the Dark
by starrybutterfly
Summary: Hermione is captured by the death eaters...but when Draco is ordered to kill her will he be able to do it? D/Hr


I own nothing.

Doesn't comply with the events of DH, obviously.

**Whistling in the Dark  
**_  
_She knew when he was coming when she heard the whistling. It was always something upbeat and cheerful-oddly she sometimes recognised it as a muggle tune. She didn't know how or when he had heard such songs, but she was pretty sure he didn't go around whistling them when his father was around. Perhaps they were to cheer her up, perhaps it was to taunt her with memories of the outside world, perhaps it was to make himself feel better…

She could sense he was unhappy with the situation-he had perfected the art of masking his emotions with his face, but sometimes she could hear a tremor in his voice as he jeered at her, could feel his fingers tremble as he inflicted whatever torment he had been ordered to by his master.

She was always glad when she heard the whistling-he never hurt her as much as the others. His cuts were shallower, his beatings gentler, his words less harsh. Sometimes he would talk to her about what was going on outside.

Today he wasn't whistling.

When she heard the keys in the lock she braced herself for a good ten minutes of pain at least, thirty if it was Lucius himself, and closed her eyes in the hopes that they would just get on with it.

The door opened slowly, the light footsteps on the ground no indicator of who they belonged to. She waited for a moment, expecting something, anything, to happen. When nothing did, she opened her eyes to see a trembling Draco, shaking from head to toe and a panicked look in his eye.

"You didn't whistle." She said slowly, carefully. "You always whistle."

"I'm here to kill you, Granger." He snapped, "What the fuck is there to whistle about?"

She stared at him in shock. "What?"

"You've outlived your worth," he said bitterly. "You're not telling us a fucking useful thing, Potter can't be bothered to rescue you-"

"I told him if this happened not to, you'd catch him-"

"Don't make excuses for that pathetic prick." He stared at her furiously, his eyes boring holes into her own as she tried to keep his gaze while fighting back tears of fear.

"Well if you're going to kill me, just get on with it." She said finally, turning away to face the wall.

He knelt down beside her, and cautiously reached out to touch her cheek. She turned round to face him, surprised by the sudden of gesture of sympathy and affection.

"I-I can't, Granger."

"What?"

"I…I don't want to. I…can't. I…" He broke off, looking devastatingly tortured.

"Malf-_Draco_. If you…if you don't…he'll kill you. My fate was sealed a long time ago…it's ok, I…I forgive you. For…what you have to do. What you're _going_ to do."

"I'm not doing it," he replied angrily, reaching his pockets and bringing out a small and dirty silver key. "I'm getting you out of here."

"You can't, you're going to get us both killed! This is _pointless._"

"Nothing's pointless if you have hope," he said, giving her a brief smile, with a distant echo of the cocky smirk she had once known. "Now come _on._ We need to get going."

He pulled her up, his hands cold and clammy as they gripped her own tightly. He led her forward, out of the grey cell that had kept her trapped for months on end. The grey didn't end there however, and they crept forward silently down a dark corridor, which didn't seem to have any light at the end of it…

Until, finally, a glimmer of light, a flickering red flame in the distance. Her heart lept, but Draco had frozen, panic swarming over his face.

"Draco-what…"

"Ssh!" He hissed, clamping a hand over her mouth. "It's _them_. They must've expected me to be back by now and have come looking…"

"What do we do, is there another way out?" She whispered back, eyes wide with panic.

"There's a hidden door a while back that way. It's into a warded area, that's why I didn't take you that way; you'll have to travel a while to get into an apparition-safe zone…"

"We'll manage, let's go…" She began tugging him backwards.

"No! They'll catch up with us to quickly. You go and I'll…I'll hold them back."

"_What?_ No…no they'll kill you!"

"Voldemort doesn't trust me anymore; it was only a matter of time. You were wrong earlier, Granger. It's not your fate that's sealed…it's mine." His eyes began to brim with tears as he reached into his coat and pulled out a spare wand, which he pressed into her hand. "Now…go."

"No! _Draco_!"

"Hermione! There's not time!"

The sounds of death eaters marching were growing steadily louder, their voices echoing down the long tunnel were progressing nearer. They were just around the corner, and Draco's jaw was set with determination.

Hermione was crying now, droplets of pain spilling over her face. "I won't leave you…I won't…I won't…"

With a groan and a curse, he swung round and pressed his mouth against hers, kissing her furiously and desperately, fingers digging deeply into her flesh.

He pulled away abruptly, eyes boring into hers. The death eaters had made their way round the corner and were shouting orders at each other.

"_Run_" he said forcefully.

He turned round to face the oncoming slaughter, shoulders back and head held high.

Hermione ran.

- - -

Ha! Don't you hate me? This is currently intended as a one-shot (with the possibility of expansion if I feel like it), so make up your own ending for now ;)

**Review! **


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